


The Barfly and the Beast

by Polerfan1986



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Mutual Masturbation, Orgasm, Porn With Plot, Smut, eventual feels, more tags will be added as story progresses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-07-15 12:30:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7222369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polerfan1986/pseuds/Polerfan1986
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lacey and Moe are up to their eyes in debt and all of it is owed to Mr Gold the most feared and hated man in town.  Lacey visits the pawnshop to try to make a deal with Mr Gold to arrange to pay him back.  Mr Gold has wanted Lacey for years and tells her that the amount of money she and her father owe is quite substantial and as such there's only one thing she can offer that he will accept: herself.  However things are not always what they seem and Mr Gold may have had other reasons for wanting Lacey to make that deal besides simply wanting her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Financial Woes

Lacey French and her father Moe found themselves in a money pit. They were up to their eyes in debt and every time they even got close to paying some of it off another expense would arise to drag them deep into the red again. The rent for their flat and the flower shop beneath it was due in a week, they had taken a loan out to pay for Lacey’s student debts and the expenses incurred by the flower shop due to late payments, poor sales and the cost of a delivery van.

The same delivery van that week in and week out had something wrong with it which consequently cost them yet more money to fix and resulted in missed orders and more money down the drain. The first week it had been two flat tyres, the third week it had been a burnt out clutch which took weeks to be repaired and after that was fixed they started having problems with the doors and windows not opening, closing or locking properly.

Lacey had started to sell everything, their car, her clothes and even some of her books in an effort to pay the bills but it was never enough there always seemed to be something, and she was so sick and tired of constantly seeing more money leaving her home than coming into it.

The worst part of it all as far as Lacey and Moe were concerned was that every single penny was owed to Mr Gold the town terror, landlord and pawnbroker also known locally as the last person in the world that anyone would want to be indebted to.

When it came to making deals and turning profits Mr Gold could put any major company to shame. He wasn’t the richest man in Storybrooke for nothing, Mr Gold owned most of the town, was ruthless when it came to late rent and loan payments, and was also known to be extremely fond of issuing of eviction notices and it was this last part that had Lacey frantic with worry over what was going to happen to herself and her father.

It was a Tuesday night and Lacey was currently ruminating over her financial woes in the Rabbit Hole, downing shots like there was no tomorrow to try and forget her troubles when the source of them walked into the bar to collect the rent from Jefferson the manager.  Jefferson also owned a hat shop down the street. He worked two jobs to keep himself and his daughter Grace in comfort and to be able to put money into a college fund for her. He was a also good friend of Lacey's.

Lacey groaned and turned her head when she saw Mr Gold approaching the bar and ordered another drink, something stronger this time “Whiskey please Jeff, neat” she said. “Coming up, just a sec” Jefferson replied as he went to get the rent money. Lacey happened to look up and spied Mr Gold watching her in the mirror behind the bar. “What are you staring at?” she asked turning to face him and feeling extraordinarily spiteful towards him.

“Not staring, merely enjoying the view” he said with a sly smile as he took in the sight of her gorgeous legs on display in one of her short, tight dresses. “You see something you like then?” she replied easily baiting him “very much so” he answered and she could see the lust burning for her in his eyes.

Lacey made a show of rising from her stool and adjusting the hem of her dress, watching his eyes as they followed her hands and then suddenly she grasped his chin and yanked his head up “my face is up here sweetheart” she told him as she combed the fingers of her other hand through his hair, she saw his eyes darken and felt him grasp her waist tightly.

She stepped up close to him and nipped his ear lobe before she spoke low so only he could hear “you can look all you like but you can’t touch because I’m not yours but hey you can dream” and with that she took his hand from her waist and let it drop to his side.

Lacey sashayed towards the pool table and made a show of bending over the table to set up for her game. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him still standing there.

He was frozen in place by her boldness so much so that when Jefferson emerged from the back counting the rent money for a third time before handing it to him, Mr Gold didn’t even turn his head to look at him, instead he simply stretched out his arm and opened his hand while keeping his eyes glued on Lacey.

“Here it is, all present and correct” Jefferson told him “yes it certainly is” Gold replied still watching Lacey, before he realized that Jefferson was talking about the rent. “Yes” he said suddenly shaking himself out of his stupor “of course it’s all there, thank you Mr Milliner see you next month.” Lacey saw him look her way again as she watched him go, she continued playing at the pool table long into the night until Jeff brought her home after closing.

Lacey had awoken with a cracking hangover the next day, she could hear her father shuffling around down in the shop, he had gone to his friend Albert Spencer's house the night before, to gamble Lacey suspected, it had become a bad habit of Moe's recently, and another reason why they were so firmly in the red. She went to the kitchen and made herself coffee that was so strong it could easily pass for diesel and spent the whole morning going over their accounts.

Several hours later she found herself sighing in disbelief, short of a miracle they weren't going to make their rent payments for either the shop or the flat this month and as they were in debt to Mr Gold no other money lender in town would even consider giving them a loan. So reluctantly Lacey found herself standing outside the pawnshop that afternoon praying that Mr Gold had somehow undergone a personality transplant overnight and might consider making a reasonable deal with her. _Some hope_ she thought dryly to herself as she pushed the door open.

When she entered the pawnshop Mr Gold was standing at the counter pouring over a ledger and making notes as he went. "His head snapped up at the sound of her heels on the floor "Well hello dearie" he said in a low voice, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

_Bastard_ she thought _as if he doesn't already know the answer, he just wants to hear me say it_. She decided to take the bull by the horns "My father and I are in quite a lot of debt and I've come to make a deal with you, I can work for you to pay off the debt, I have the figures with me," she said producing a sheet of notes she had taken from the accounts.

He took it from her and looked it over and then he spoke “I’m afraid Miss French that the amount of money that you and your father owe me for rent and loans is quite substantial, in fact it's such a high figure that you have only one thing to offer that I will accept”

Lacey knew where this was going, she’d seen the way he’d looked at her when he would come to collect the rent and when they saw each other around town, it was the same way he was looking at her now, like he'd looked at her in the bar last night, like he wanted to devour her. She cleared her throat and asked “and what would that one thing be Mr Gold?”

“You” he answered immediately as he took up his cane and walked around the counter to face her. He pulled her close and his hands moved smoothly down her sides “I have gone too long without a woman to warm my bed” he told her as he slid his hands under her skirt, to his delight she was wearing a thong and he massaged the cheeks of her ass “I want you to be my mistress and I want you living in my home so that I have access to you whenever I want you and you never know dearie you may come to enjoy the arrangement as much I will."

His touch was making her wet but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that, it was a natural reaction for her body to have to a man’s touch nothing more, nothing less and she couldn’t help that, so she drew back from him.

“People in town will talk when they see me at your house, they aren’t stupid it won’t take them long to put two and two together and come up with four, this is a small town and bad news travels fast” she said dryly to him.

“If anyone should ask you all you have to do is tell them that you are working for me as my maid, they’ll believe you because no one in this town would ever think for a minute that a beautiful girl like you would let an old monster like me have you” he replied.

"If you do this" he continued "you may consider all of the debts you and your father currently owe me to be paid in full."

“What about a time limit” she said “I want to know IF I were to agree to it how long would you expect this arrangement to last.”

“Oh I would say a year Miss French” he replied smoothly.

Lacey shook her head “six months” she countered, “nine months” he replied “six” she answered refusing to budge. “Six months of having me should be more than enough to expunge any debts myself and my father owe you, six months and not a second longer.”

“Forceful little thing when you want to be aren’t you, I like your moxy” he said with a sly smirk and he began to advance on her again but for every step he took towards her she took one back towards the shop door “so what do you say dearie, do you agree to my terms?”

“I need a little time to consider your offer before I decide if I’m going to accept it or not” she told him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of surrendering immediately even if she knew it was her only option.

“Oh how delightful I do love delayed gratification" he said smugly. "Very well, let’s see now it’s Wednesday and the rent is due next week isn’t it, and you’ve offered me six months haven’t you so I’ll give you hmm…" he tapped his cheek theatrically for effect before saying “six hours” and smiling slyly.

“WHAT” she shouted losing her composure “six hours is ridiculous you could give me a day at least.”

In her fit of temper she had stopped moving and he seized the opportunity to grab her and haul her close again, he could move fast enough when he wanted to for a man with a limp. “Yes I could but I won’t, the offer is good for exactly six hours and not a second longer” he said mocking her earlier words to him”

Then he brought his mouth down on hers, it was a vicious kiss, a clash of teeth and tongues and bitten lips. He slid his hands down and hiked up her skirt and grasping the bare cheeks of her ass again he pulled her body flush against his and rubbed her center against him until she moved to bring her knee up between his legs and pulled herself away from him.

She watched with some satisfaction as he doubled over, groaning and struggling to catch his breath whilst trying to glare at her before attempting to compose himself as best he could while she was still present. When he stood up again after several minutes or at least as close as he could get to standing while still in a degree of pain below the belt and leaning heavily against his counter for support she saw a wet patch on the front of his trousers from where she’d been pressed against him.

Following her line of sight and then raising his head to look at her again he said “A little taste of what’s to come” with a smirk. Lacey’s face reddened again and her breathing was still laboured from their clinch “You’re an arrogant bastard” she snapped at him.

“Maybe but I’m also your only option, I’ll see you back here in six hours dearie" he replied smoothly”

“FUCK YOU” Lacey shouted before she flipped him the bird and stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind her so hard that Mr Gold actually flinched.

He limped to the door and locked it before retreating to the back of his shop to lie down, he was sore from where her knee had collided with his balls, luckily she hadn't hit him as hard as she could have but had she not stayed to gloat he would have happily passed out on the floor. She would pay for that little stunt later when he got her home.

Lacey’s head was spinning and her groin was throbbing from having his cock rubbed against her through his suit and her flimsy knickers. Much as she hated to admit it and boy did she hate to admit it but the bastard was right, he was her only option, _I hope I broke the fucker’s door and his balls_ she thought to herself, it was still early in the day but she felt the need to drown her sorrows so she headed for The Rabbit Hole.


	2. Terms and Conditions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacey doesn't meet Mr Gold when she is supposed to because she is in the Rabbit Hole. Mr Gold collects her from the bar after shutting up the shop for the night and Lacey wakes up next to him the following morning.

Mr Gold closed up his shop at 6pm that evening, Lacey hadn’t shown up but he had a good idea where he would find her, once his shop was locked up he set off down the street towards the rabbit hole. 

When he entered he saw Jefferson trying to prop up a very drunk Lacey. Gold approached the two and said “if it’s alright with you Mr Milliner, Miss French had an appointment with me today that she missed, I can sober her up and see her home safely if you don’t mind.” 

Jefferson knew that Gold harboured a long term crush on Lacey and also knew that Gold would never dream of hurting her but all the same he asked his landlord “are you sure Mr Gold I wouldn’t want to trouble you?”

“No trouble at all Mr Milliner” Mr Gold answered and Jeff nodded.

“Miss French come along” the pawnbroker said taking her by the hand.

“Oh no I’m not going anywhere with you, no sir, not me” she slurred.

“Forgive me but you’re not exactly in a position to argue with me right now sweetheart” he replied as he began to lead her to the exit. 

She was too drunk and he was too strong for her to try and wrestle herself away from him so she let him lead her to his Cadillac where he proceeded to buckle her into the passenger seat before he settled himself in the driver’s side and turned the key in the ignition.

She curled into herself in the seat and spoke very little although he watched her from the corner of his eye. By the time he pulled up into his own driveway she was almost asleep. 

He helped her from the car and once he had closed his front door behind them he guided her upstairs in front of him and into the master bedroom. He sat her on the bed and removed her shoes and her dress and brought her one of his t-shirts and slipped it over her slender frame he encouraged her to lie down and tucked the covers up around her and not five minutes later he joined her wrapping himself around her.

During the night Lacey tossed, turned and spoke in her sleep occasional half sentences that didn’t quite make sense “you’re just like all the others” and “no good” and each time he would lull her back to sleep, rubbing her back and whispering “its ok baby, sleep now” and kissing her forehead. They would certainly have a lot to talk about in the morning that was for sure.

When Lacey awoke the next morning she knew something was different but couldn’t tell what exactly and then she felt it, there were arms wrapped around her and someone’s chest at her back. Her eyes snapped open and she took in her surroundings and gulped when she saw the suit hanging on the back of door that presumably lead to a walk-in wardrobe and a familiar ring was sitting on the oak dressing table. 

She knew that suit and that ring, she saw that suit only yesterday, she’d been pressed tightly against it, and she saw that ring every time she paid the rent, she knew where she was. Lacey was in Mr Gold’s bed, in his arms.

She gasped, he had given her a six hour limit and obviously it was well past that now, she remembered being in the rabbit hole drinking and talking to Jefferson, then she had hit the pool table again and after a few more shots things went blank. 

She tried to move but Mr Gold stirred immediately “Good Morning” she heard him say behind her.

“That’s not exactly what I would call it” she replied immediately slipping back to her prickly self and trying to move but he tightened his grasp on her.

“Allow me to relish the sensation of waking up with a beautiful woman in my arms for a little bit longer dearie it’s not something that happens every day.”

“We didn’t do anything last night did we?” she asked him.

“No we didn’t, you weren’t fit to do anything but sleep Miss French and while I may make no secret of how much I want you, I certainly wouldn’t have taken advantage of you in the state you were in last night.”

“However now that you’re awake” he said grinding his erection against her, his hands gliding beneath the t-shirt he’d given her and over her soft warm skin. 

Lacey wriggled in his arms trying to escape his grasp but he was too strong, one of his hands pushed her panties down to her knees and then began to stroke her dripping folds.

“Lacey” he said grinding his cock against her ass again “you can’t tell me you don’t want me, look how wet you are for me”

Lacey knew he was right and as he began to rhythmically circle her clit with the pads of his fingers she began thrusting herself into his hand, “yes sweetheart, that’s it, let it feel good” he whispered huskily as he rubbed himself against her and slipped two fingers inside her. "Oh please make me cum" she begged him as they rubbed and writhed against each other until she creamed his fingers and his seed splashed onto the cheeks of her ass.

Lacey rose from the bed a few minutes later and went into his en suite taking her clothes with her. She wiped his cum off her ass cheeks and began putting her clothes on. 

“Where are you going sweetheart?” Gold asked her when she emerged wearing her dress from the night before, “you were supposed to come back and see me yesterday, you didn’t and we still have a deal to discuss.”

“I’m not your sweetheart” Lacey replied “and I told you I needed more time to consider your offer, besides I have a cracking hangover today and I won’t be fit to discuss anything so I’m going to my home to sleep in my bed” she told him.

“You can nurse your hangover here” he told her as he rose from the bed, giving her a full frontal while he changed his boxers and got dressed, he wore only his trousers and shirt and a pair of slippers, no waistcoat, jacket or tie, it was his version of casual Lacey thought to herself.

Come downstairs and we’ll discuss it in the kitchen after breakfast he said taking her hand and leading her from the room. 

“Before I accept your deal” she said “I have more conditions” she told him after he had made her pancakes and bacon which she had wolfed down and given her a glass of orange juice and some paracetamol for her hangover.

“Such as?” he prompted her.

“Such as time off, I want two days off per week, two days to myself every week if it’s not too much trouble and I want to be able to choose those two days at my own discretion plus I'll need one week off every month for obvious reasons.”

“Fine you have your two days off per week” he acquiesced "most months I will give you a full week off as well but other months we'll work around that" he told her.

“If you’re going to be paying me then I want a proper occupation to justify the money” she continued.

“Fine the mayor is talking about opening up the library, how would the post of librarian suit you?” he asked.

“Splendidly” she replied, at least it was a job where she could read to her hearts content and not have to take her clothes off which would be a welcome change for her.

“If you are finished I have a few conditions of my own” he said. 

“Like what?” she asked.

“Like” he said “I don’t share, you’re with me for the duration of this arrangement which means you aren’t with anyone else.”

“I’ll only agree to that if you’re prepared to do the same” she murmured.

“What?” he said thinking that he might have misheard her. 

“If this arrangement is to be monogamous on my end then it’s monogamous on yours as well, I won’t share either” she clarified.

“Possessive of me already sweetheart I’m flattered but you don’t need to concern yourself on that score, I have absolutely no interest in anyone but you” he told her. 

“Speaking of which, birth control dearie?” he asked her.

“Injection” she replied shortly and then she added “I want a written contract.”

“Naturally, I have a draft already prepared” he answered smoothly, "I assume you’ll be wanting to go home and pack and I am going to the shop today so you can sign the contract when you return this afternoon."

“fine” she replied. 

“So you agree to my terms then?” he questioned.

“Yes” she said somewhat reluctantly, “I accept your deal”.

"Splendid" he replied with a smirk before pulling her into a passionate kiss, he tapped her lower lip gently with his finger when he pulled back "beautiful" he murmured looking at her "and all mine."

"What's your name?" she asked him suddenly startling him out of his reverie "seeing as we're going to be on very intimate terms with each other it's only fair that you tell me your given name" she said.

He looked at her for a moment in consideration before saying quietly "my name is Callum, and I'll see you later Lacey" he told her as he put on his shoes, waistcoat and jacket and lifted his keys from the bowl on the kitchen counter. "Oh and by the way" he said stopping just before he reached the front door "when I get back I'd like you to tell me what you were talking about in your sleep last night."


	3. A Lack of Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lacey begins moving some of her possessions to Mr Gold's house and Mr Gold discovers the source of Lacey's wariness and distrust. I'm on Tumblr now: https://dancingscorpiodearie.tumblr.com/

Lacey somewhat reluctantly called a cab from Mr Gold’s house to her father’s shop, she didn’t really feel like walking all the way there in last night’s dress and very high heels. Well shit so he wanted to know what she'd been dreaming about, that meant telling him a few unsavoury details about her recent past in New York but what did she care if he couldn't handle that.

“And where were you last night” her father said as he spied her entering the shop.

“I was at Ruby’s” she lied making a mental note to go and see Ruby before she returned to Mr Gold’s house later. “Papa I got a new job, I start tomorrow” she told Maurice.

“Lacey that’s great news, where is it?” he said his face lighting up at the mention of money finally coming into the house. “I’ll be a housekeeper for Mr Gold” she replied and her father’s face fell.

“What, you’re going to be working for that cantankerous old git, no Lacey I won’t allow it” Moe said seriously.

“Alright number one" Lacey replied "he’s not that old, number two it’s only housekeeping” she said crossing her fingers behind her back “and number three you can’t forbid me from working for him, it’s my life and my choice and quite frankly we desperately need the money, beggars can’t be choosers Papa. Besides I won’t just be working for him I’ll be working in the library as well, the mayor is going to open it up again now that she has the funding I enquired about it yesterday” she informed her father.

“Gold is older than I am Lacey” Maurice said sternly “but you're right we do need the money, you just make sure that old miser keeps his hands to himself won't you?”

“Of course I will papa” she said humouring him as she gave him a hug all the while thinking _it’s a bit late for that now_.

Lacey climbed the stairs to their flat and headed to her room, she didn’t have the heart to tell her father just yet that she was also going to be moving out and she was dreading his reaction. She headed for the bathroom deciding that she wanted a shower first. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower allowing the hot water to rain down on her skin, taking her body lotion she began to form a lather as she slid her hands along her skin, she closed her eyes enjoying the sensuality of her own hands sliding over her wet breasts, around her waist and hips and dragging her fingers over her buttocks.

Without realizing it she began to imagine larger, firmer hands with longer fingers slipping all over her body and caressing her intimately, two fingers slipping sensuously inside her and...Lacey's eyes flew open suddenly and she shook herself out of her fantasy had she really just been imagining Mr Gold touching her naked body in the shower? She finished washing just as the steam began to turn the small bathroom into a sauna.

She felt squeaky clean at last and after drying off she put on yellow summer dress and a pair of brown heeled sandals. Her chestnut brown hair was soft and straight from the shower and she decided to leave it down.

Lacey packed a medium bag that she would bring with her to Mr Gold’s tonight, deciding that she would break the news that she was moving to her father in a few days time.  Passing her father on her way out again Lacey told him that she was meeting Ruby for lunch and headed in the direction of the diner.

Ruby had luckily enough just started her break “Hey Lace” she greeted her friend when she saw her approaching her table, “Hey Ruby, listen I need you to do me a favour, if my father should happen to ask where I was last night, I was with you ok and I'm also staying with you tonight?”

“Why what did you do last night?” Ruby asked “and who did you do it with, I want details?”

“I was negotiating a deal with Mr Gold, I got a job, well two jobs actually, one is working as Mr Gold’s maid and the other will be in the library when it opens.

“Is that all you’ll be doing for Mr Gold or did he add a few extra duties into the job description” Ruby asked with a knowing look on her face.

Lacey hesitated for a moment “It’s live-in work for five days a week” she said without elaborating any further “but I can handle Mr Gold, you know that Ruby” Lacey answered.

“I know you can look after yourself where most men are concerned but all I’ll say is just be careful around him, he’s not most men and as far as your father is concerned yes I’ll cover for you” Ruby replied.

"Thank you, you’re a very good friend” Lacey said throwing her arms around Ruby.

“Have you even told Moe that you’re moving out yet?” Ruby asked her with a sceptical look on her face.

“No, Lacey confessed, I may have left out the live-in part, he told me to make sure that Gold keeps his hands to himself so can you imagine how he’ll react when he finds out that I’m going to be living with the man five days a week?”

“You're right, he’s going to blow a gasket, best leave telling him until you’ve already moved otherwise he’ll probably lock you in the flat and never let you out" Ruby joked.

“We can laugh now but that’s not a far cry from how he actually will react when he finds out” Lacey commented.

“I knew Gold had a thing for you” Ruby said.

“Trust me whatever Gold has for me doesn’t go beyond wanting to get in my pants, a bit like most other men I’ve met” Lacey replied dryly.

“No I’ve seen the way he looks at you in the diner when you’re too busy reading or talking to someone else to notice, I think his feelings for you run a bit deeper than that” Ruby told her.

Lacey still dismissed Ruby’s theory as nonsense, as far as she was concerned the only part of her that Mr Gold wanted was between her legs, he had no interest in either her mind or her heart.

Lacey and Ruby finished their lunch quickly as Ruby’s break time was almost up and Lacey announced that she had to go and see Jefferson about settling her bar tab.

Meanwhile Mr Gold was out collecting loan repayments and pondering over Lacey at the same time. The words that she had muttered in her sleep echoed in his mind and he considered her behaviour towards him and others in town. Lacey seemed to keep most men at arms-length and while she came across as flirtatious with them in public, she did not enter in to any long-term relationships. From what he had seen of her so far in private, she was aloof and distant and he wondered what had happened to make her that way and how such a thing was to be dealt with.

There was nothing else for it, he'd already told her that he wanted to know what she was mumbling about in her sleep so if she wasn't forthcoming he would ask her over dinner, she was frank enough that she might give him a straight answer he thought to himself as he knocked on a tenant’s door.

Will Scarlet opened his door to Mr Gold, he was high as a kite and offered the older man a cup of tea, on top of his rent money Will owed Mr Gold three thousand dollars and thus far had yet to make a repayment. When Gold saw the state of him, he promptly grabbed him by the nose and gave him a bollocking about having better things to do with his time than chase him up for loan repayments.

“I don’t have time for cups of fucking tea today, I’m not a hamster in a fucking wheel to be running around after you all day Mr Scarlet now where’s my money and don’t tell me you haven’t got it, because I know you and your girlfriend were at the bank this morning.”

Luckily enough for Will his girlfriend Ana came to his rescue and paid Mr Gold his first installment before he called the sheriff. “I trust that there will not be a repeat of this little performance next month Mr Scarlet?” Gold warned the young man on his way out of the apartment, his last stop of the day before returning to the shop was to go to the Rabbit Hole and pay Lacey’s tab as she obviously didn’t have the money to pay it herself.

Lacey was just heading for the Rabbit Hole when she saw Gold leaving it and crossing the street to his shop, _odd_ she thought as she pushed the heavy doors open, _he already collected the rent from the Rabbit Hole two nights ago._

“Hey Lacey” Jefferson greeted her as she entered the bar “Hi Jeff, listen about my tab from last night” she began but Jefferson beat her to it.

“Oh you don’t have to worry about that your tab is paid in full” he told her.

“What, how?” she spluttered.

“Um Mr Gold may have stopped by earlier and paid your tab for you and I couldn’t exactly say no to the owner of the building now could I?" Jeff explained.

Lacey was surprised to say the least that he had thought to stop by and foot the bill but then again she thought, if she was going to be granting him regular access to her body then it was the least he could do.

“You ok Lace?” Jefferson asked her.

“I’m fine” she said awkwardly “I just don’t really know what to make of that” she confessed not caring to go into too many details with Jefferson just yet.

Jefferson on the contrary knew exactly what to think of it, “I think Gold has a soft spot for you Lacey” he told her.

“Don’t be ridiculous Jeff, a rich man like that wouldn’t be interested in me in any way but one” saying it aloud made Lacey feel sad and a little lonesome but she wasn’t going to fool herself with notions of romance when she knew Gold only wanted her for her body. “I gotta go” she sighed “I’ll see you around Jeff” she told her friend.

“See you Lace” he replied as she slid from her stool and left the bar. She stopped by the flat to pick up her bag.

She walked slowly to Mr Gold’s shop, he was standing behind the counter checking through the pieces of a tea set when she entered. “Ah packed already?” he asked her. He thought she looked beautiful with her chocolate tresses falling softly around her shoulders, he could tell she had showered because there was a lovely scent of white lily and damask rose wafting from her as she approached him and combined with the sight of her lovely legs and toned arms on show in her dress she had his mouth watering.

“Not completely" she replied "I can’t tell my father that I’m going to be living in your house, not just yet anyway." Mr Gold reached into his breast pocket and produced a set of two keys and extended his hand for her to take them.

“A key for the front door and the other is for your bedroom door, it’s the first one on the right upstairs” he told her when she looked from the keys to him.

“Thank you” she said quietly before picking up her bag and turning to leave again.

“Lacey wait” he called “It’s not long until closing, if you wait I can drive you home.”

“Thank you but no, I don’t mind walking back today” she replied.

He didn't like her trying to distance herself from him but he decided not to press her too much about it, seeing that she looked a little lost today and knowing that she was likely feeling distressed about her new situation and only just beginning to acknowledge the idea that she would be living with him for the next six months, she'd be with him for a lot longer than that if he had his way.

It was a quiet walk and Lacey watched as the streets of the town branched off into a quiet avenue of large houses with beautifully manicured gardens. She enjoyed the feel of the sunshine on her skin and a slight breeze that kept the weather from being stifling.

Lacey let herself into Mr Gold’s house for the first time and stood taking in the hallway and the living area. This wasn't her home and she felt unsettled being here alone and so she didn’t linger long downstairs and carried her bag up to her new bedroom. It was a beautiful room, the walls were a warm shade of pink, there was a dark oak Queen-sized bed and the room had a fire place as well but Lacey felt too drained to appreciate her surroundings, she slowly curled up on the bed and fell into a restless slumber.

That was how Mr Gold found her when he returned home, curled up in a ball on the bed, he stroked her hair gently and took a throw from the linen cupboard and spread it over her.

Two hours later he knocked on her door “Lacey are you awake?” he asked.

“Yes” she answered quietly as she padded to the door and opened it.

“Dinner is ready” he told her.

“Oh I’m not hungry right now” she answered him with a shrug of her shoulders.

His face fell “You have to eat, please come down to dinner” he said he certainly wasn’t prepared to let her starve herself under any circumstances.

“I’m not hungry” she stated sharply and closed the door in his face.

“Lacey” he said through the door “you can’t stay in that room forever.”

“I can try” came the stubborn reply and he felt himself beginning to bristle.

“I’m only going to say this once dearie” he began calmly “so listen carefully, the only thing you’re trying right now is my patience, I expect you downstairs and at the table for dinner in ten minutes or I’ll break down this door and drag you downstairs to dinner, do you understand me?”

He was met with silence “Ten minutes Lacey” he said again before turning to go back downstairs.

Lacey quietly appeared at the table not long after, not saying a word to him as she sat and began to take slow bites of food.

Only a few minutes in and Mr Gold decided to try to break the strained silence between them.

“Lacey” he began carefully, “would you mind very much if I asked what you were referring to when you said 'the same as all the others' in your sleep last night?”

She paused, a forkful of food halfway to her mouth “I’d rather not answer that” she replied “it’s a bit of a sore subject at the moment.”

But Gold was not so easily put off “I’d like to hear about it all the same" he told her "especially seeing as I was the one who held and comforted you while you slept last night” he said pointedly reminding her of their closeness in the night.

Lacey knew that she had found comfort in his embrace last night, that he’d made her feel safe and warm, nestled in beside him and it unsettled her because safe and warm were not things she was accustomed to feeling when it came to men.

Chewed up and spat out maybe but not safe and warm, safe and warm scared her a little because safe and warm could lead to love and love in her experience was a lie. She’d learned enough during her time to know that most men were only interested in one thing and entertaining any foolish notions of love only meant getting hurt and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

The agreement between herself and Mr Gold would be upheld as long as she came to his bed or wherever he wanted her but she didn’t have to love him in order to sleep with him.

Unbeknownst to Lacey though was that Gold was still plotting, he’d managed to secure her company for the next six months but for him it just wasn’t enough and if he had his way once those six months were up he’d be keeping her, on that he had his mind set. Though she did not know it yet and he wasn’t yet brave enough to admit it Callum Gold’s feelings for Lacey French ran far deeper than just sex, he cared for her and sex had never been a cheap act to him, he saw the giving and receiving of passion between lovers as an act of worship, and to him having sex with Lacey would be a sacred act of love.

“Fine" she snapped when she realised he was still waiting for an answer.  When I was a student living in New York, I had to find a way to make money and I did, I became a dancer at one of the clubs there. I would dance for men every night Mr Gold and not all of them single, some of them married with families yet they would pay good money to watch me writhe around a pole and take off my clothes.

They didn’t think much of their wives when they would do that and I was just a piece of meat to be leered at and to make them cum in their pants when they would request a lap dance. I earned enough money in tips to keep myself going and so I wouldn’t have to drop out of college.

I met a guy called Samuel, he seemed nice, flirted with me for a few days every time I would see him, I liked his cheeky sense of humour and then he asked me out, he was cute and I was very naïve. We went on our date and then back to my place and one thing lead to another. When I woke up the next day he was gone along with five hundred dollars of my savings that I had in the apartment and my credit card and I never saw him again.

One night not long before I left New York, I was getting ready to go home to my flat when I was cornered by the owner of the club, a real slimey bastard if ever there was one, pushed me into a wall and said he wanted to spend the night with me, tried to force himself on me, I kicked him in the crotch and ran away.

While I was in New York I learned that I had to be tougher when it came to just about everything but especially men who are all too willing to take advantage of a girl if they think they can get away with it. So I began acting and thinking like they did, I would have my fun and leave them were I found them before they could leave me.

Gold visibly flinched at her last remarks, wasn’t that exactly what he had done by making his deal with her, take advantage of her but then he remembered why he had made a deal with her, there had been a reason for his actions, not that she needed to know about that right now, she wouldn’t believe him anyway even if he told her.

When dinner was finished he brought out her contract and watched her as she began to peruse it carefully before signing it.

That night when she came to his bed he wrapped her up in his arms and held her close, he did not ask for anything from her nor did he try to take her, he just held her in silence, stroking her hair until she fell asleep in his arms.

She was wary he realized, wary of people’s intentions and of making any kind of commitment, he couldn't blame her and he knew he was going to have to tread carefully with her if he didn’t want her to retreat from him. _Baby steps_ he thought, if he was ever going to win Lacey's affections it was going to take baby steps and patience.

**Author's Note:**

> So in this story Mr Gold has a very good reason for wanting Belle to make a deal with him aside from the fact that he wants her of course but I can say no more at present because that would be spoiling. Also I had the notion of doing a Gold/Lacey porn with plot story a few weeks ago and picked my title but couldn't decide what to write for it and then this story which is sort of like a modern Storybrooke version of my other work His Lovely Mistress came to mind last night and wouldn't leave me alone until I had written at least the first chapter. So just in case anyone is wondering about any initial similarities between the two stories that is the reason why but the stories will be different from each other as they progress. I'm writing follow up chapters for several of my stories now so please bear with me they will up as soon as I'm happy with them.


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